From Awareness to ACTION: PREVENT Human Trafficking
2026 Conference Set: Tuesday July 14
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The Alliance to End Human Trafficking (AEHT) (formerly U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking) and the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd (NAC), continue our work this congressional session to end human trafficking, keeping the needs of those vulnerable to being trafficked and those who have survived at the forefront of our work.
Earlier this year, one of the three bills we featured in the 2025 conference and worked to enact - the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act - was signed into law!
Thank you to all who prayed, called, wrote, emailed, posted on social media and met with staffers and Members of Congress! Now this session (year two of this elected Congress) our other two bills remain active and we intend to see them across the finish line too!
AEHT and NAC continue our efforts to pass -
These meaningful, bipartisan bills build on the foundation of human trafficking policy, raise up the pillars of support for survivors, and strengthen the protective layers against online predators. In particular, TVPRA is universally supported and even passed the House of Representatives in 2024 by a vote of 414-11. It is nonsensical that this seminal reauthorization bill is not law already. We will not be deterred. This bill must pass. Visit our Legislative Focus page for details on these two bills. |
RegistrationRegistration is required if you do not have a congressional badge.
Deadline has passed. Human Trafficking Congressional Briefing
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 9:30 - 11:00 am Capitol Visitor Center - 215 Must have ID and must have preregistered to attend Honorary Co-ChairsOur 2026 bipartisan honorary congressional co-chairs are:
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX) Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-MD) Congresswoman Maria Salazar (R-FL) |
2025 Briefing with Congressmen Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Greg Landsman (D-OH)
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Speakers
Speakers include Jessie Boye-Doe, Gina Cavallo, Mary Graw Leary, and Members of Congress. The event will be moderated by Sr. Ann Scholz.
Jessie Boye-Doe, LCSW, is the Vice President of Mental Health Services Impact and Strategy at Good Shepherd Services in New York. She is an advocate, trainer and clinician specializing in human trafficking prevention, intervention, survivor support, and trauma-informed care.
Gina Cavallo is a survivor and is the founder and executive director of the survivor-led nonprofit organization, We RISE USA. She serves on the Survivor Advisory Council of the Alliance to End Human Trafficking and has been working actively for the passage of H.R. 1144, Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act.
Mary Graw Leary, JD, is professor of law at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. Professor Graw Leary is a former federal prosecutor. Her scholarship examines the intersection of criminal law and procedure, technology, and contemporary victimization. She focuses on the exploitation and abuse of women, children, and the marginalized. She is a recognized expert in the areas of criminal law and procedure, exploitation, human trafficking, missing persons, victimization, technology and the Fourth Amendment.
Name Withheld is a survivor dedicated to supporting other survivors of human trafficking.
Sr. Ann Scholz, SSND, PhD, is a School Sister of Notre Dame and Director for Corporate Social Responsibility for the SSND Cooperative Investment Fund. In addition, she consults with nonprofit organizations engaged in faithful advocacy for systemic change. Sr. Scholz previously served as Associate Director for Social Mission at the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, where she was responsible for research, education, and action to help shape public policy.
Call to ActionVisit our Online Advocacy Page for
Contacting Congress, Social Graphics & Social Texts |
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Conference Packet |
Conference Presentations / Talks |
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Stay tuned
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Stay tuned
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Human Trafficking is a Crime Against Humanity
On July 30, we recognize World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. We are forced to confront the chilling reality of this heinous crime that takes place all over the globe, including in the United States.
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit another; to obtain labor or a commercial sex act. It is a crime under both U.S. and international law, and a crime against humanity. It dehumanizes and commodifies human beings, depriving them of their dignity, persons made in the image of God. And it denies their human rights: the right to life, security, freedom of movement, and the freedom from torture and degrading treatment. It is antithetical to the tenets of our Catholic faith and the values of this nation. |
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The nature of human trafficking makes it difficult to accurately describe its scope and number its costs. The National Human Trafficking Hotline reports that, “[d]espite growing awareness about this crime, human trafficking continues to go underreported due to its covert nature, misconceptions about its definition, and a lack of awareness about its indicators.” (National Human Trafficking Hotline)[1] Given recent trends in technology, the involvement of organized crime, and the variety of labor, sex, and other trafficking offenses uncovered by law enforcement, we know the methods and perpetrators can vary widely. This crime takes place anywhere, and people from all walks of life and backgrounds can fall prey to human traffickers.
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The 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons[2] reports that in 2022 there were 74,785 people ‘detected’ as victims of human trafficking – a significant 43 percent increase compared to 2020. In 2022, children accounted for 38 percent of victims ‘detected’ globally. Detection is the result of actual cases from police or authorities around the world. It does not reflect the actual prevalence of the crime or the hidden number of victims of commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, organ trafficking and forced marriage. How many remain undetected?
The International Labour Organization[3] estimates that traffickers collect approximately $236 billion in illegal profits every year. The elimination of human trafficking must be a priority. Every life is a gift from God and is sacred. Every human being deserves to be protected and nurtured. We each have a responsibility to do our part to prevent human trafficking. |
Awareness / Education
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Watch this video of Good Shepherd Sisters combating sex trafficking in Thailand.
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